7 graphic design elements that every designer should know

You don’t need a degree in graphic design to create stunning graphics. You just need to know some of the basics of graphic design.

If you are a designer or engineer who sells the products you make, or use it for your company’s brand, or teaches to companies or independents, You know that it takes more than original ideas to be successful or unique products.

In competitive markets such as Etsy and Kickstarter, At major trade fairs, conferences and events, Your products don’t just need good design, It also needs a strong brand, a web presence and great images of products to attract customers. Interest.

It might seem popular at first, But don’t be afraid! This article will help you understand the basics of graphic design that you need to start your career

Graphic design basics

Everything humans do involves a certain level of design decisions. Look around you. Computer, table, chair, A cup of coffee, a jacket, Shoemaker. Everything is influenced by the designer who decides the visual and physical characteristics of the product based on the intended use and visual style required.

Whether you’re developing the latest technology tools, or make laser-cut jewelry, or design 3D printed household items, You’ll make a lot of design decisions.

Consumers want what they buy to look good and work well, Designers and engineers must therefore have a strong understanding of the basics of Graphic design when dealing with their work. The designer’s mission is to balance shape and function when creating beautiful and practical products.

Good design has an impact on the public and conveys the required message. Just like it is. Not much, not much. As Erin describes it, “Good design is like a fridge. When you work, No one notices. But when you stop working, Everything has to rot in it.” Good design can be expected. Things look good and you feel comfortable, Although this feeling is often overlooked by the untrained eye.

This may seem like a distant goal, But basic knowledge of design theory will make it more realistic. includes design theory, To name a few, Proper use of design principles and elements to achieve good design. Design elements refer to the basic components of the design portfolio, Design principles refer to an approach that uses these elements together.

There have been countless changes in design theory over time. This is a dense subject that many bright minds approached and meditated and explained. Although there is no unified principle of design theory followed by all designers, However, there are many design concepts that are approaching general acceptance of design theory.

Below we’ll take a look at 7 design elements and 7 design principles that each maker should know that form the basis of graphic design.

Seven elements of graphic design

Design elements are the primary unit of visual design and the main component in creating all designs.

Let’s imagine that creating a design is like building a house. Design elements will be raw materials such as bricks or wood. How selected materials are used will affect overall appearance, appearance, and function. Knowing the purpose and style of the house helps architects make decisions about materials.

A good example is the wooden cabin, which we generally understand is suitable for mountain homes. The best places close to the beach, desert or mountains. But why? Okay, The material in question has certain characteristics or characteristics that make it suitable or inappropriate for this house.

Planks are ideal for functional mountain houses because they are naturally abundant in the mountains, And they can withstand unpredictable mountain storms, It has a thermal mass that helps keep the house warm. Wood panels also blend visually with the natural environment of the mountains. The choice of materials depends on the composition of the function and elegance.

Similar to wooden panels, Design elements are similar to the materials available to you as a designer. These building blocks, The seven elements of the design, Are font, color, value, shape, texture, space and shape. Each person has his own set of attributes that can work towards or against your thoughts or intentions in the job and style.

In other words, Designers can communicate ideas or concepts using seven design elements, Which can be used individually or in conjunction with each other depending on the goals.

Designers planning to invade the market with their products should take into account design elements in both the visual and physical context. The physical material used in the finished product is itself a design element.

In order to design something of value, The physical importance of the final product must be taken into account throughout the design process. Let’s take a closer look at each design element to better understand how to use it.

1.Line

The first and most important element in the design is the line, It is the starting point for most designers who stare at an empty canvas or empty design in Photoshop. In the context of graphic design, The line is defined as two points of contact in space. Fonts can contain many features, such as thick, thin, delicate or smooth polished, toothed, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved, curved, striped, spotted, Continuous or broken as shown.

Designers often use lines to guide the eye to a point, and divide the area, And to point to the focal points, And create a fabric.

2.COLOR

Color is the second element in design and one of the most important principles of graphic design. As with lines, Color can be used to adjust the design tone. For example Green and blue tend to have a soothing and comfortable attraction. On the other hand Red and orange are more powerful and emotional.

Using color to take advantage of these feelings can make the design more successful in achieving the required response. If the manufacturer sells its product, This expected response = purchase.

For a fuller picture of the balloon, Let’s take a look at the following characteristics:

• Color gradient: It is often used only as a luxurious color name (e.g., purple, green, blue), But it also means pure color before adding any black or white.
• Shadow: Adds black to color, This makes it a darker version of pure color.
• Shadow: Add white to the dye to make it a lighter version of solid.
• Dye: Add gray to the dye to create a softer version of a pure color.
• Density: Indicates lightness or purity of color. It is said that the real shadows are highly dense, While shadows or pigments have low density.

3.Value Value

This value describes the light and dark range of color. This digital scale image from Tes Teach shows what happens when you add black to white to create shades of gray.

This concept is important for designers, Not only in terms of simple color options, But also because values define shapes and create the illusion of space. If values are close to each other, The shapes will appear flat and spatially closely linked.

Charlotte Gerozic in art, design and visual thinking. “If the numbers are different, The numbers will appear spatially separate and stand out from each other. This works whether the colors are black, white or gray only, Or whether it has colors or not.”

4.Shape Shape

The shape can be defined as having different objects or blocks of objects on an external surface, or features of a particular shape or design. This spatial division can be achieved using colors, lines, values, or tissues.

We are surrounded by many shapes (houses, offices, cars, trees, flowers, cats, Dogs, maybe we don’t think about it much. But for designers, Shape is the basis of graphic design.

Author and web designer Jennifer Kernen wrote in this LiveWire article: “It’s the shape and texture of make-up logos, illustrations and countless other elements in different designs.”

Shapes help designers add attention or organize design elements. It’s not strictly decorative, Shapes can be symbolic, emotional or used to direct the eye to the most important information. “

Shapes can be described in three ways: Mechanical, organic or abstract.

• Mechanical shapes are those with hard edges, They are usually geometric, Which provides a sense of stability and order in design.
• Organic forms are irregular, often with unexpected curves or angles, This creates more natural and expressive designs.
• Abstract shapes are things like letters or symbols that help transmit information.

In the example above of UX Planet, The format plays a key role in the successful design of the technical course application. Circles do not contain angles, The fabric is therefore softer than the use of polygons.

When you start designing, You are responsible for any design additions. Many small and detailed shapes take longer to track than fewer larger shapes. Circles take longer than straight lines. And since time = money when you start designing, The shape you choose does not only affect the aesthetics of the product, But also in terms of cost.

5.Texture

In design, Texture has two definitions. The first is the visual texture, When the fabric appears on a flat surface using lines, shapes, or colors. For example The image of the bark of the tree naturally shows a lot of visual texture. In graphic design, This poster I saw on Abduzeedo promoting a bike race uses the mountain as a tapestry to add emotional and realistic reactions.

The second definition of fabric is physical touch, It is a physical texture or feeling of design elements such as smooth, soft, rough and sensitive.

6.Space Space

The less visible space for the seven design elements allows designers to use 2D space to create a 3D illusion. This is achieved through a variety of techniques:

Overlap: by putting some objects in front of them overlapping with other objects, Designers can begin to create the illusion of space. Shapes should always come in the foreground before shapes in the background.

Shadow: adds a gradient of values to the shape, This gives the impression of a 3D object. You can create shadows by setting up the light source first and then selecting highlight areas, half-color degrees, shadows, and reflected light based on the light position.

Atmospheric perspective: The technique of showing depth or distance in space indicates the effect of the atmosphere on the body. The bird’s eye view uses contrast of colors and numerical values to show depth. Distant objects often have less variation; they may fade in the background or dark areas become blurred. The front objects will be clearer with increased unit contrast.

Linear perspective: This technique is how designers create the illusion of depth on a flat surface as well as determining a focal point. Distant things look smaller, Although it is not. Keep in mind driving along a long stretch of highway. The lines on the highway become smaller until they disappear from view.

The linear perspective depends on the idea that all lines will converge at a common point on the horizon called the vanishing point. Any wall, roof, floor, or any other object with lines will appear on the horizon. These converging lines lead our eyes to that focal point.

Usually The most important things or people will be located at this stage. In the picture below you can see what all the lines leading your eye to the church look like in the middle of the back of the drawing.

While most design principles in spatial elements are more pronounced in painting and coloring, However, it is highly applicable to digital Graphic design.

7.The Nimage

Modeling refers to 3D objects and is a useful concept for space identification, adding size to design and increasing contrast. Models will always have height, width and depth, Which can be achieved using other design elements such as values, fonts, and shapes.

In graphic design, Forms can be created in several ways. These geometric shapes are made up by including intermittent cutting lines that become folding lines in the design.

Connect with us via

Facebook Instagram Twitter